Christopher Thomas, STAR Writer

Western Bureau:

Popular western Jamaica personality Kenrick 'Bebe' Stephenson, who is facing charges of unlawful possession of property among other charges, was given new bail conditions when he appeared in court yesterday.

Stephenson was among the 130 persons - mostly men clad in female apparel, who were taken into custody by the Leon Clunis-led Lotto Scam Task Force following a raid on a nightclub on the Trelawny/ St Ann border early Saturday morning.

After he was held, he was promptly charged with absconding bail for failing to appear in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on June 19.

In court yesterday, Stephenson's lawyer, Nicole Allen, told Resident Magistrate Sandria Wong-Small that her client had assumed that his appointed court date was July 19.

"I had thought the date was July 19, and I asked my client and he thought it was July 19 also," Allen explained to the judge.

"Even the officer thought it was July 19... It was a genuine error, and it was not meant to insult the court."

However, RM Wong-Small was clearly not impressed with the explanation from the lawyer as she pointed out she was the one who signed the bail warrant and the date on it was June 19.

However, Stephenson was eventually offered bail in the sum of $100,000 with surety. He was ordered to report to the Coral Gardens Police Station every Monday, between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. His matter is set for trial on October 10.

Stephenson was originally arrested on May 19 during a target raid against persons believed to be involved in the illicit lotto scam.

Several items, including a motor vehicle, a flat-screen television and two music speaker-boxes, were reportedly seized from Stephenson at the time of his arrest.